Horse betting history goes back as far as man can remember.
Horse racing became a part of the Greek Olympics around 638 B.C. while modern horse racing goes back to the 12th century. Horse betting history shows that Knights of the British Empire imported Arabic horses and they were crossbred with English mares. This breed of horse became known as the Thoroughbred.
Horse betting in the early 18th century horse racing evolved past the one horse versus another racing and racetracks offered purses or prize money to the winner. During the mid-1700s, it was decided that there needed to be a governing body to determine the rules and standards by which racers, breeders, and owners must abide. The Jockey Club was established for horse racing. They established the complete rules and standards of the horses and the races which could be run. As the British settled in America, they brought racing horses with them. The first known horse betting racetrack in the Colonies was on Long Island in New York.
Professional horse racing did not actually start until after the Civil War. In 1894 the American Jockey Club was formed for horse betting. They soon established rules and regulations, similar to those of the English Jockey Club. The Kentucky Derby was first run in 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is one of the three races which make up the horse betting Triple Crown. The other two are the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness Stakes is run in Baltimore, Maryland while the Belmont is run in New York.
There are other forms of horse betting that include the steeplechase, which requires the horse to clear such obstacles as brush fences, stone walls, rail fences, and water jumps. The most famous in the United States is the American National. There is also harness racing for horse betting players, which was very popular during the Roman Empire. The first official tracks for harness racing came about in the early 1800s, and by 1825 harness racing became a favorite attraction at country fairs all across the United States. Quarter horse betting is also popular in some areas of the country for horse betting gamblers although neither harness nor Quarter horse betting compares to thoroughbred racing.
Horse racing has always been known as "the Sport of Kings" and it has come a long way. Horse betting is popular all around the world and online sportsbooks have provided people from all over the world access to horse betting from racetracks all over the U.S. and around the world.